READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 20: Chapter 20: The Black-Gold Beast Egg
Chapter 20: The Black-Gold Beast Egg
"An ancient artifact with a special engraving method?" Lin Langtian's eyes lit up, and a glimmer of excitement crossed his face.
Ever since missing out on the Heavy Prison Peak treasure due to his lack of refined energy control, he had been considering spirit power cultivation and the path of becoming a Talisman Master. Spirit cultivation on the Tianxuan Continent was a field as potent as Yuan energy cultivation. Some powerful Talisman Masters could move mountains and control oceans, even claiming lives from a distance without a trace. The difficulty of cultivating spirit power was comparable to Yuan power, so most warriors focused solely on Yuan power, with only rare exceptions in the Talisman Master field.
In Lin Langtian's mind, only Lin Dong, the original "child of destiny" in his previous life, managed to achieve exceptional accomplishments in both disciplines. With his link to Ling Yi, Lin Langtian felt his talents and insights had significantly sharpened, making him confident he could handle dual cultivation with spirit power.
The Lin clan did have some methods for cultivating spirit power, but their engraving techniques were rare and of low quality, so he found them lacking. However, if this mysterious bronze fragment held ancient secrets of engraving techniques, it could be extremely valuable. Although the imperial family couldn't decipher its secrets, that didn't mean Lin Langtian couldn't.
As he considered this, the mysterious bronze fragment stirred murmurs in the crowd. Ancient relics held a mystique that stoked everyone's curiosity, and when Prince Mo Tianxing set the starting bid at fifty thousand Pure Yuan Dans, a cautious bidder finally broke the silence.
"Fifty-one thousand Pure Yuan Dans!"
Quickly, others followed suit, testing their luck and gradually raising the price. While some were willing to place bids, they increased cautiously, unsure of the fragment's practical value. Amid the rising bids, the price eventually climbed to around sixty thousand Pure Yuan Dans, with fewer bidders joining in as it reached the upper limits of some wallets.
"Seventy thousand Pure Yuan Dans," came a calm voice, breaking the tentative bidding.
All eyes turned toward the speaker—Lin Langtian himself.
Recognizing him, many looked on with surprise. Lin Langtian had recently spent over two hundred thousand Pure Yuan Dans on the Breaking Barrier Flower, and now he was bidding seventy thousand on this mysterious fragment. He certainly lived up to his reputation as a generous spender, but some guests were puzzled. As the top martial talent of the Lin clan, why was Lin Langtian so interested in something tied to spirit power and engraving techniques? Could it be he planned to pursue the Talisman Master path as well?
Many present had once dreamed of becoming dual cultivators, only to find that maintaining both skills was incredibly challenging, often disrupting cultivation in both and leading to failure. While some now eyed him with a hint of schadenfreude, secretly pleased at the prospect of a powerful rival distracted by dual cultivation, others found it difficult to hide their curiosity. Even Ling Qingzhu glanced his way, an intrigued glint in her eyes, knowing how rare it was for even elite sects to have dual cultivators.
Just as it seemed Lin Langtian would win the mysterious fragment, another unexpected voice rang out.
"Eighty thousand Pure Yuan Dans."
Surprised, everyone turned to the source of the bid—it was none other than Huangpu Ying. His bid surprised Lin Langtian, but then he realized the man was likely just competing out of jealousy over Ling Qingzhu's earlier attention.
Annoyed, Lin Langtian's gaze darkened as he replied, "One hundred thousand Pure Yuan Dans."
The sharp price hike left many guests stunned, admiring Lin Langtian's wealth and decisiveness. A hundred thousand Pure Yuan Dans was a large sum to spend on an unverified artifact, and several young talents could only dream of such a lavish display. Lin Langtian's reputation as a deep-pocketed spender would likely spread throughout the empire, and some said even the courtesans of Yingshun Pavilion would soon be fighting to court his favor.
Meanwhile, Huangpu Ying's face twitched at the steep bid. As the most talented youth of the Huangpu clan, he had some wealth at his disposal, but the current bid would deplete half his reserves. Seeing Lin Langtian's determination, Huangpu Ying finally chose to back down, content that he had at least forced Lin Langtian to spend an additional thirty thousand Pure Yuan Dans. Any further bids might backfire if Lin Langtian suddenly dropped out, leaving him holding the bill.
On the auction platform, Prince Mo Tianxing seemed slightly disappointed, likely hoping that Lin Langtian and Huangpu Ying's bidding war would drive the price even higher. Still, a hundred thousand Pure Yuan Dans was a respectable sale for a fragment with unknown worth, and he sealed the deal with a final call.
Afterward, several other valuable items took the stage, including a half-step Earth-grade spiritual treasure and a high-tier martial skill, reflecting the royal family's commitment to an impressive auction lineup. Despite their rarity, none interested Lin Langtian enough to prompt a bid. Just as he thought the auction would conclude without further excitement, Mo Tianxing unexpectedly unveiled a peculiar item.
In his hands lay an egg about the size of a human head, marked all over with intricate black and gold patterns—a mysterious beast egg.